{"id":37075,"date":"2018-02-26T13:27:31","date_gmt":"2018-02-26T18:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=37075"},"modified":"2018-02-27T15:55:23","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T20:55:23","slug":"free-donuts-coffee-and-clothespins-make-appreciation-week-at-emu-simple-edifying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2018\/free-donuts-coffee-and-clothespins-make-appreciation-week-at-emu-simple-edifying\/","title":{"rendered":"Free donuts, coffee and clothespins make Appreciation Week at EMU \u2018simple,\u2019 \u2018edifying\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

If there was one thing Appreciation Week planners at Eastern Mennonite University hoped to leave out in the February gray and drear last week, it was this: the winter doldrums.<\/span><\/p>\n

An effort of Campus Ministries, the week\u2019s daily events gave everyone else \u2013 students, faculty and staff \u2013 a variety of opportunities to show appreciation for one another.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scroll down to view more photos from Appreciation Week.<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

One day the student-run Common Grounds Coffeehouse gave free coffee to anyone demonstrating appreciation, which baristas and seniors Brittany Williams and Michaela Mast said seemed to \u201cbrighten people\u2019s spirits.\u201d One customer said she really appreciated her boss for giving her a lot of grace after messing up a transaction; another two students said they valued each other\u2019s input in class.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so heartfelt,\u201d Williams said, \u201cone of the best affirmations I\u2019ve heard today. I don\u2019t think it was just to get free coffee. Maybe it was, but I think they really meant it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Students create “Clothespins for Encouragement,” compliments written on clothespins and then clipped to the receiver. (Photo by Andrew Strack)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Skylar List received free coffee after showing appreciation for a skiing classmate Ethan Beiler, who had been \u201cacting like a goofball,\u201d she said. \u201cUsually he\u2019s a little more contained, so I appreciated that he was silly with us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s nice,\u201d Beiler said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice that some appreciates you, and it\u2019s also nice to show appreciation of others, because they enjoy it, too, and feel the same appreciation of recognition of being appreciated. If that makes sense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, in the cafeteria lobby, pastoral assistant senior Amanda Williams and junior Lindsay Acker were offering clothespins for students to write or draw on and then clip to someone they appreciated.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty simple,\u201d said Williams \u2013 but \u201cedifying to people all over campus.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Senior Madelynn Payne wrote \u201cYou are awesome\u201d on a clothespin to give to a friend. \u201cWe make time to do homework together, and we often have to work around each other\u2019s schedules,\u201d she said. \u201cShe\u2019s so caring to do that for me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Madelynn Payne wrote \u201cYou are awesome\u201d on a clothespin to give to a friend. \u201cWe make time to do homework together, and we often have to work around each other\u2019s schedules,\u201d she said. \u201cShe\u2019s so caring to do that for me.\u201d (Photo by Andrew Strack)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the cafeteria, sophomore Richard Vo was wearing a clothespin that said \u201cYou can do it.\u201d He\u2019d seen his residence director come into the cafeteria with it, and head straight for him. He\u2019d been having a difficult week, he said, and so the encouragement was welcome. \u201cDefinitely. I just have that motivation to be like, \u2018Oh, yeah \u2013 you can do this. You\u2019ve got it. You can overcome this obstacle.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A warm midweek day of sunshine and an array of bright colors brought a steady crowd to a table set up in front of Northlawn for painting kindness rocks, which would be placed around campus for passersby to find.<\/span><\/p>\n

Senior Lorren Oesch carefully painted plants onto a large stone, and said that she loves \u201cwatching creation emerge after winter. I\u2019m going to write here, \u2018You\u2019re growing.\u2019 That\u2019s something that I\u2019ve experienced here at EMU and appreciate. It\u2019s important to remember that we\u2019re growing here, and give ourselves grace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sophomore Yoel Bobadilla had painted farm building silhouettes against vivid sunset colors, representing his love of the countryside. First-year Zach Shifflett, hungry and on his way to lunch, was painting careful yellow dots onto a red stone \u2013 a strawberry \u2013 and said he appreciates the people who prepare the food he eats. And pastoral assistant and senior Bekah Mongold had painted \u201cYou are loved\u201d on another.<\/span><\/p>\n

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A “kindness rock” prepared during an Appreciation Week activity. (Photo by Macson McGuigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cSomebody\u2019s going to see these,\u201d she said. \u201cYou never know what kind of a day they\u2019re having. Hopefully that will brighten someone\u2019s day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The week contained even more opportunities, such as free donuts and a table for writing notes of appreciation that resulted in a huge stack of notes for campus mail (and disappeared 20 dozen donuts), candy for gifting, letters or notes of encouragement written for coaches and every fall and spring athlete, and more. And Y-Serve repeated its fall semester initiative of showing appreciation by delivering plates of cookies to various departments.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s what this whole week is about \u2013 finding different ways to reach people in their different niches,” Williams said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Perry Blosser plays in the drum circle during Appreciation Week at EMU. (Photo by Macson McGuigan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And on Friday, sitting in a drum circle set up to spread joy even further, pastoral assistant and senior Perry Blosser said the week had had a good \u201cspirit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so easy to do stuff that makes people happy,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know why we don\u2019t do it more often.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That sentiment was echoed by undergraduate campus pastor Lana Miller<\/a>, who said that showing appreciation is \u201csomething we should be doing all the time with one another.\u201d The week, she said, was \u201ca space and a place to think about some different ways to care for each other.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"20180220-Appreciation<\/a>